June 15, 2006

tangerine dreaming

when i started running out of apple-scented Palmolive dish soap (whatever happened to Joy and Dawn, anyway?), i decided i wanted biodegradable soap for my next purchase. apparently Sunlight makes a biodegradable soap now, but that it's still kind of nasty. i didn't see many choices in scents so i grabbed the cheaper, plain apple Sunlight in the frosted plastic bottle. my other half was anxious to get going. leaving that aisle something else caught my eye... biodegradable tangerine dream. that's what i was looking for! turns out it was cheaper than the regular Sunlight, too (not that i have anything against them. their Sunlight bar is amazing against laundry stains).

i eagerly tried the dish soap tonight, and liked the smell so much that i actually washed the dishes after dinner (not that there was much to do, but i never feel like doing anything after dinner). it works very well, and i feel good using it. plus it smells great. and yes, IT WORKS! it's about $3 at Safeway for 740 mls. there are other scents as well.

it's made by VIP Soap Products Ltd. based in Mission, BC. unfortunately their website has some technical/coding issues that make it impossible to see some of the content, and the coding itself is too convoluted to read very well in source. i'm also not sure when they last updated it as it says (c) 2003. however, i think they've got a great business ethic and are making a valuable contribution to environmental sustainability.

does anyone know someone who works for them who might put me in touch with someone? i sent them an email in the hopes that someone will reply and take me up on my offer of redesigning their website with the intent to boost their sales and internet profile. if your customers can't view your product list, it's harder to sell it. plus with accessibility and usability standards being so important, and having a fast-loading, cross-browser compatible website so key to user friendliness, they could greatly benefit from an update that follows their branding and ethics.

this isn't my first foray into environmental health. take a look at my website about organic produce, o: organic produce. yes, Safeway stole the name. ...just kidding. (O Olive Oil LLC, on the other hand, is suing about the label's look.) i'm proud of them for catching on with the healthy trend. and the coupon. oh, and, the President's Choice organic label just looks so good i could eat the cardboard box when i'm done with the food!

mmm, peanut butter chocolate chip. image from President's Choice website

Safeway's new product line. image from treehugger